r/vexillologyUS

This post is for the Americans in the audience, this is for a project and your feedback is appreciated.

CREDIT

Montana's Bison Skull - u/mm- and link to his post.

Flag of Nebraska Redesign - u/Jack-fa18 and link to his post.

2001 NAVA Survey - LINK

Something, something, early post.

A case for adopting the Washington State flag redesign by u/simplisticflags

The flag combines heraldry, history, geography, and culture to showcase the Evergreen State. A full description of the symbolism can be read throughout the slides.

Note: I know other people have also done this general design, such as u/ThatMarkerDude, but u/SimplisticFlags is the very first to refine this format by using 7 six-point stars.

Pretty simple design.

Red and Gold - Spanish influence with the state's motto being "Oro y Plata" and the name "Montana" coming from the Spanish word "Montaña" meaning Mountain.

Blue - Represents union and connection to the United States.

Red - Red rocks of the southwest region near Lima and the Red Rock river Valley, and the Canyons found in the state. Red represents the natural beauty found in the state.

Gold - "Oro" part of the state's motto. Represents agriculture.

White - "Plata" part of the state's motto. Represents tranquility.

Bison Skull - Native American representation.

Star - Statehood

Blue Ratio being half of the background - Represents the nickname "Big Sky Country".

https://strawpoll.com/e2naXOw5pyB

• 34 PETALS (17 gold, 17 red) for the 34th state
• STATE NAME: The name “Kansas” comes from the indigenous Kansa people, translating to “People of the South Wind.” This is visually highlighted by the sunflower "pointing down."
• SUNFLOWER= Kansas
• AD ASTRA PER ASPERA: While most people already know that sunflowers are a cultural staple of Kansas, it has immense symbolism potential beyond mere association with the state. Kansas’s state motto is “Ad Astra Per Aspera,” meaning “to the stars through difficulties.” The sunflower is a weed flower that has traditionally made Kansan agriculture difficult, serving as the “per aspera” part of the motto. Additionally, the design evokes that of a star, serving as the “ad astra” part of the state motto. (And the sunflower’s name comes from the fact that the flower’s head resembles the sun, itself a star, also nodding at the “ad astra” part of the motto.) So, with just the sunflower alone, you have a succinct and beautiful representation of the state motto.
• RED: Red stands for “Bleeding Kansas,” a bloody period of conflict between 1854 and 1859 where pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers clashed over whether Kansas would be a slave state or a free state.
• BLUE & GOLD: These colors are derived from the current flag and the state government’s branding guidelines. You can also say that gold represents Kansas’s agriculture, and blue for traditional virtues / ideals like union, justice, etc.
• COLORS: Overall, the colors are also a nod to Kansas's indigenous history, especially the Kansa people.
• BORDER & NOTCH: The border and notch are a lighthearted reference to Kansas’s distinctive shape: a rectangle with a little notch in its Northeast corner. It’s optional and can easily be removed if it’s not wanted on the flag.

This is a slightly edited version of a flag I posted here a while back, with the aspect ratio changed to 2x3 for a more standard look.

The pattern on the bottom is made to reference both Native American and European cultural patterns, thus representing how Montana's residents come from many traditions and heritages.

At the top of the flag and on the hoist side there are two mountains, representing both the Rocky Mountains and Montana's name, which is an Anglicization of montaña (Spanish for Mountain). They also form Montana's outline and a vague M shape.

The colors are white, yellow and blue, to represent Montana's motto (Oro y Plata, Spanish for gold and silver) and its (unofficial) nickname, the Big Sky State. The yellow and white are heraldic colors for gold and silver, and the blue represents the sky.

Thank you!

Seals were created for government paperwork. This "People's Flag" concept uses the deep blue field of the Montana State Flag and replaces the seal with the bison skull...an unofficial symbol that is widely used and loved by Montanans...representing the state's rugged character, history, and indigenous cultures.

And finally, inspiration has struck for Charleston! It took quite a while searching for inspiration for a flag worthy of Charlie West, as the locals call it, but my research has paid off. Here's how it breaks down.

The field is based on the slightly adjusted colors of the current flag, quartered of blue and gold by a cross counterchanged. This is based on the Clendennin arms as born by Charles of that ilk; the original arms are quarterly of silver and black with a cross indented counterchanged, so this is also a simplification. Charles's son Colonel George Clendennin and his company of Virginia Rangers built the settlement in 1787 as Fort Lee; the city was named Charlestown in Charles's honor upon its incorporation in 1794, which was contracted to Charleston in 1818 to avoid confusion with Charles Town -- named for its founder, George Washington's youngest brother.

The charges occupying the four quarters, all depicted three in fess, are derived from the major industries that built the city's fortune over time. In the first quarter lie three silver bricks of salt; salt brine was extracted from wells and refined -- often by slave labor -- starting in 1806, and the Kanawha Salt Company -- the first industrial trust in America -- was established in 1818. Although it declined after 1861, it was revitalized by the need for chlorine and lye -- both derivable from brine -- in the First World War. In the second quarter are three blue gouttes of flame, symbolizing natural gas production; Captain James Wilson struck the first well in 1815 while drilling for more salt. In the third quarter are three coals enflamed proper; coal was first discovered nearby in 1817 and became the predominant fuel of the saltworks. Lastly, in the fourth quarter are three gold Erlenmeyer flasks gradated in black; chemical manufacturing became a prominent sector of the city's economy in the 20th century, no doubt enabled by all the salts and hydrocarbons to be found nearby.

Enjoy, upvote, etc.

The blue and sun are taken from the current flag, the black pays homage to the state's famed Black Hills, and the medicine wheel in the center is a version used by some Lakota people.

Full Results - South Dakota

Congrats to the top 3 designers. They had a clear break from the rest of the pack, and it was quite a close race between these top contenders.